PH Ranks 4th in Productivity Growth

The Philippines has substantially improved its productivity in 2010 over 2009, but still maintains its ranking in the fourth place among the six original Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-countries, the Japan-based Asian Productivity Organization (APO) showed.

APO’s database on Asian Quarterly Growth Map showed the Philippines’ productivity level improved to 7.8% in the first quarter of 2010 and moved a notch higher to 7.9% in the second quarter from 2.1% in the fourth quarter of 2009.

The Philippines’ growth could stand improvement to be at par with the top three leading ASEAN member-countries—Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. Notably, it is ahead of Vietnam and Indonesia.

Singapore improved its productivity to 19.5% in the second quarter this year from 16.9% in the first quarter and 3.8% in the fourth quarter of 2009. Thailand, however, slipped in its growth to 9.1% from 12% in the first quarter this year. Thailand grew 5.9% in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Malaysia’s growth also retreated to 8.9% in the second quarter of 2010 from 10.1% in the second quarter this year. Malaysia’s productivity grew 5.4% in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Growth in the productivity of Vietnam grew 6.4% in the second quarter this year from 5.8% in the first quarter and 6.9% in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Indonesia’s growth, meanwhile, has been sustained to 6.2% in the second quarter this year from 5.7% in the first quarter and 5.4% in the last quarter of 2009.